


Chosen

by zarabithia



Series: 25 Lives Kate Bishop Didn't Live [1]
Category: Marvel 616, Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Community: au abc, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-31
Updated: 2010-03-31
Packaged: 2017-10-26 12:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/283331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate universe, Kate's detour through the park gives her a different kind of destiny, namely one that involves vampires and a cute watcher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chosen

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "Jossverse" prompt at au_abc.

Everyone heard horror stories about Central Park, and most days of the week, Kate heeded them, because you couldn't live your whole life in New York and not be aware that there were some very creepy people in the world.

But on one particularly cold Tuesday, the soup kitchen she volunteered at experienced a swell in numbers, as people tried to get plenty of hot soup in order to combat the frigid temperatures outside. Kate stayed later than she should have, because she knew from experience that it was always better to have two servers than one for the noontime crunch.

And because she figured it was the least she could do; her hands felt like they had six thumbs today, and every kitchen appliance and glassware she touched kept breaking.

By the time Kate made it out of the kitchen, she was already running late for her cello practice. The desire not to miss the entirety of her lesson made her decide to take a detour through the park.

She wasn't, Kate would reflect later, being very careful, or particularly aware of her surroundings.

But Kate would also be the first to point out later, that it wouldn't have matter if she _had_ been paying attention, because choosing to take a solo run through the park during sunset didn't make what happened her fault.

And if she had been paying attention, chances were good that things would have gone much worse, because a Kate Bishop who had been fully aware of her surroundings and not daydreaming of the fits her cello instructor was having, might have tried to reason her way out of what happened, instead of reacting purely on instinct.

Reason would have made her hesitate, and when a creature jumps out of a tree on top of you with the intent to kill, hesitation could be lethal. Instinct allowed her to frantically reach up, grab the offender and throw him with all her might. The same might that had allowed her to break three of the soup kitchen's glasses, the can opener and the pressure cooker that morning allowed her to put twenty feet between herself and the offending creature.

Kate was still recovering from _that_ shock, when a second man stepped out of the shadows, aimed a crossbow, and shot directly into the attacker's chest.

Kate would have been horrified at the murder, except that all that remained of the attacker was a pile of dust.

"Not a bad first effort, Kate," the blond man remarked. "Not bad at all."

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Kate asked, taking a step backwards, because that was the _sensible_ thing to do, when confronted by a creature that turned to dust and a stranger that knew her name.

If she'd been more sensible, she might have ran. It wouldn't have done much good she would learn later; when the Council wanted you, they found you.

Besides, Kate's good sense had always taken second place to her curiosity.

"The short version or the long version? Because the short version," the man continued without giving her time to reply, "Is that I'm a Watcher, you're The Slayer, and the thing we just killed was a vampire."

"A _watcher_? Is that what we're calling weirdos who stalk teenage girls in the park these days?"

"It's not like that, Kate. But to avoid any 'weirdness,' you can call me Clint. At least until you get the long story."

Needless to say, Kate didn't make it to cello practice that night- she was too busy getting "the long story."


End file.
